Moon festival-San Francisco, a photo from California, West

Photographer's Note

As they prepared to step on stage, the little ones were rehearsing a last time, and getting pumped up by their teacher, under the eyes of their very attentive parents.

The "Autumn Moon Festival" ("Zhongqiu") is celebrated yearly, in Asia and many Chinatowns around the world. its name comes from the delicacy families and friends offer to each other in that occasion: the mooncake.

bj40, axiotea has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

tcht (7565) 2010-09-19 11:13

hello herve, interesting scene - if you've put china instead of san francisco i'd hv believed you! gotta love the expression of the children, you timed it well with their hands out-stretched.
and actually mooncakes aren't the reason why its called Zhongqiu. Zhongqiu literally translates as 'middle-autumn', and that's the 15th day of the eighth month in the chinese lunar calendar, which lies on 22nd Sept christian calendar.
on Zhongqiu you'd see a new moon at its roundest (basically day 15, middle of a lunar month, constitutes a new moon), and the tradition is to watch the moon at night while eating mooncakes under paper latern
and mooncakes came into fasion when they were used by the han-chinese resistance to hide secret messages during the overthrow of mongolian rule in the 13th century.
regards,
cheuk hin

bj40 (1866) 2010-09-19 12:35

Hi Herve,What a colourful and exuberant display of youthful energy ,the joyful expressions convey the elation they feel,it a girls only parade so it seems. The costumes and headress are so colourful, an uplifting image. Thanks Tom

smarcell (19875) 2010-09-19 12:49

I like this view. The expressions are very spontaneous, and the pov, from behind the lady guiding the group, is perfect.
very good use of the wide angle lens.
A very good descriptive image.
Regards Stefano

axiotea (21647) 2010-09-20 0:50

Bonjour Hervé
Une image pleine de naturel et de joie!
Les 3 petites vêtues de rouge semblent t'avoir aperçu et semblent apprécier ta présence. J'aime le fait que 2 d'entre elles ne touchent pas le sol et sont saisies en l'air pendant leur saut.
Marilyn

stevesaba (8019) 2010-09-25 0:36

Hi Herve!
Fabulous image! And like you say, hard to believe it is in the USA until we read your notes. The children are wonderul, and their red costumes are beautiful. Perfect focus, and really well composed. Very striking, and a real winner! Warm regards,
Steve

fabianoleite (9098) 2010-11-17 11:13

I like the lively atmosphere of the children and the great colors. Congratulations!